The Challenges & Possibilities Of Online Branding Post COVID-19 Outbreak

Hello friends, I hope you’re safe at home. In this critical scenario of the economy due to the COVID-19 outbreak, how are you taking part in uplifting it? Working remotely today has become the only gateway for few sectors of the economy today to stand up again on its feet. But how are the consumers behaving today?

The Coronavirus Effect On Modern-Day Consumerism

In a recent data found by Global Web Index

80% of consumers in the U.S. and UK say they have consumed more content since the outbreak

Broadcast TV and online video streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok are winning more screen time as primary mediums for all generations and genders.

The most preferred media consumption across Gen Z, Gen X, and boomers was online videos, music streaming, and online press.

In all these statistics, there is one thing found common and that is people inclining towards online services more. Even the governments across countries have kept the flow of essential consumer goods unbothered in this crisis so that people are not deprived of their household necessities. And how are these necessities being made available? It is through online booking and paying.

Even in India, the popular food delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy have started to fetch the people in lockdown their essential grocery items.

Do you see the trait over here? Going digital now is the key to every lock (challenge) of necessity.

Now More Businesses Will Adapt To The Changing Dynamics Of Consumerism

The COVID-19 outbreak is indeed a very serious phenomenon that had led the entire world to go into lockdown. Right now, unfortunately, it is the only way humanity can be preserved. But this physical unavailability does not have to mean people will stop buying. And in this segment, we will be getting inside how consumerism will experience a paradigm shift and how the digital platform will act as its catalyst.

But before that, let’s look into the significant areas of dump in consumerism

·      Businesses are losing sales and conversions

The digital marketing firms and agencies have confirmed that businesses are experiencing a dip in the conversion as well as sales because of this COVID-19 outbreak. Strict quarantine measures have proved to be devastating for sectors like travel & entertainment and therefore they are facing the worst hardships to keep their wheels going.

·      Events and exhibitions have halted speedy revenue generation

International & national events of the sports and entertainment industry have all been deferred. All these events account for a huge source of income for the global economy where not only the organizers but also sponsors and advertisers earn a huge ROI. The suspension of all these events has left the companies directly related to it bereaved with little to no budget for campaigns and hence lower sales.

·      Boom in online shopping, dump in brick-mortar stores

With people being unable to move out of their house, the brick & mortar-based stores have closed down due to no sales. E-commerce transactions, on the other hand, are offering all the necessary articles delivered safely, at the threshold of their homes.

And Now, To Look At The Positive Side...

The Silver-Lining Phase For Online Branding & Marketing

Even in this unfortunate situation, the industry of digital branding and marketing is somewhat seeing a fine streak of silver-lining. To explain this logically, people at home, are now getting their necessities fulfilled through online transactions. So, more and more businesses are turning into setting up their online presence, who, until now have remained refrained from it. The evergreen strategies of email marketing, video marketing, and visual marketing are now getting more impetus. Even when the biggies like Zoom, Salesforce, Google and Microsoft are offering free services to the people, later on, they can lure the newly migrating customers into premium versions for the same.

Some Mistakes Can Turn Into Great Strategies

We live in a world where for the Coronavirus, the consumption of Corona Beer is experiencing a massive downfall. An unfortunate tragedy it is undoubtedly, but here the unexplainable human psyche plays the game. But the company has turned this into an amazing social media marketing gimmick. People are having great moments of laughter with this comedy of errors and Corona, the beer manufacturer has somewhat managed to earn great social media traction. The point is to hack the trend and thrive. In the case of Corona Beer, this came into being as a struck of luck due to the namesake case.

Campaigns Now Will Be Cause-Based, Reeling In More Leads

Cause-based campaigns have always played in the welfare of business from an aesthetic level. No business could ever prosper without showing their customers the humane side of their establishment. Alongside a plethora of socio-economic issues, today, this COVID-19 outbreak has given each and every organization the perfect platform to spread awareness and design strategies encircling them. Many companies have started to provide free services to people like DishTV who are ensuring people of no disconnection even when they fail to pay in this lockdown period. That’s not all, companies are also coming up with creative posts that portray their share of concern for the cause as well as the people.

The Digital Media And Entertainment Platforms Will Boost Engagement

Digital mediums like social media networks, video streaming apps and entertainment streaming portals like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar will receive more viewership than ever. This will make way for the advertisers to foray into new ways of attracting the consumers towards their offered products and services. These platforms may not allow face-to-face interaction with the customers but the scope is larger for brands to advertise.

The Question That Definitely Arises- Won’t Digital Marketing Economy Be Affected By COVID-19 outbreak?

Oh yes, it has definitely proved to be devastating for many firms at this critical time to stay afloat, but given the trends mentioned above in this piece, this crash is will be short-lived. With the phenomenon of work from home taking place, we can guarantee one thing - every person associated with this fantastic branch of branding and marketing are now performing beyond their best by working remotely. And not only by reeling in more leads, but also painting a credible picture of the sector so that even as a small part of the economy, a significant strength is provided to all and sundry, working for it.

Digital Marketing thankfully is not confined to the boundaries of the traditional marketing- strategies, it can be conducted remotely as well.

It is this flexibility that makes productivity and delivery of any project an affair of lightning speed, tossed in the colors of creativity.

Online Branding 2.0: The Scope Ahead For Digital Marketing Industry

The marketers associated with online branding can influence more businesses to get into the digital zone, showing the bright side of which won’t be complicated now. Offline marketing is definitely losing out on its shine both at local and international frontiers and hence climbing up again with digital platforms by a business’s side will be a prevalent phenomenon. What the digital marketers at this juncture should do is to focus more on their SMO & SEO practices for gaining the maximum benefit on the economy’s gradual revival. There will be plenty of time, there will be a lot of scopes.

The benefits of going digital for achieving marketing goals are plenty and now are the ripe time to reap all those fruits, one day at a time.

Saluting The Frontliners- The Digital Marketing Warriors

We salute the hard-working individuals who are keeping the wheel of progress and growth rotating to strengthen the greater economy. The digital marketing professionals or rather ‘Warriors’ too are the frontliners of this industry who are constantly working for its revival from the COVID-19 slowdown effects. Your role as the harbingers of the brighter days ahead will be marked by prolonged success, globally.